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Helping your Business Thrive in a Mobile WorldMon, 04 Apr 2016 05:00:47 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.105 Things a Custom Mobile App can do for your Businesshttp://powerappsthatwork.com/5-things-a-custom-mobile-app-can-do-for-your-business/
http://powerappsthatwork.com/5-things-a-custom-mobile-app-can-do-for-your-business/#respondThu, 11 Apr 2013 15:24:30 +0000http://powerappsthatwork.com/?p=739Small businesses all over have heard of mobile marketing, and know that their customers spend a tremendous amount of time on mobile; they’re eager to figure out how to get on mobile with them.

But the fact that there are so many possibilities with mobile apps (the Apple App Store had 700,000 apps as of October 20121) makes it confusing to know what you should do for your business (and more importantly, what you shouldn’t do so that you don’t waste your time).

Power Apps that Work has found that 5 key features help businesses use their custom mobile apps to get more quality, loyalty-building time in front of customers. Here’s how we implemented these features for our customers:

What exactly can a custom mobile app do for my business?

1. Make communication easy between you and your customers.

Everyone hates having to look up a phone number in the Yellow Pages…and even with using Google, it’s still cumbersome to try to hunt down a business’ phone number.

And what if a customer has something nice to say about your business? What if they want to complain? Sure, they could go to a review website and praise you (or worse, complain about you publicly!)…but do you really want to make the only way you receive feedback something that’s entirely out of your control?

Small business custom mobile apps help shift the paradigm of business-customer communications.

Excellent apps make it easy for customers to keep in touch with you…if they want to call, all they need to do is go to your app and click on the “Call Us” button. If they have something they want to share, all they need to do is type their feedback in your app’s comment box.

For example, our mobile app for Yung’s Chinese Takeoutin Ft. Collins includes the ability for customers to easily look up their phone number, and to easily send messages:

Businesses want an easy way to incentivize customer loyalty and to “pull” customers back into their stores. But traditional customer loyalty methods are difficult to maintain: mailing coupons is expensive, and discount punch cards get lost and forgotten about.

Small business custom mobile apps jettison the need for the traditional cumbersome and ineffective loyalty programs.

With a mobile app, businesses can send coupons and other vouchers directly to customers on their smartphones. Discount cards (“come 5 times and get your 6th purchase for free”) are as easy as opening up the app and marking a visit (the mobile app uses location information to ensure that the customer is actually, in fact, present in the store!).

Even better, the mobile app uses a push notification (discussed below) to tell customers when new coupons or vouchers are issued, even if they’re not actually using the app!

For example, our app for Yung’s includes a loyalty punchcard system where visitors can get freebies after 5 visits; and our app for Recycled Cyclesincluded a punch-card system as well.

Loyalty punch card (Yung’s).

Loyalty punch-card (Recycled Cycles).

3. Provide key information to customers quickly.

In the past, businesses had no way to share key information with customers unless the customers were in the business’ store (or through an expensive mailing campaign). For example, restaurants had to mail menus, and stores had to mail advertisements that included new inventory.

And even though modern times have allowed businesses to post these things onto their website, it’s still too passive; businesses have to hope that people will come to their site to see updates.

With custom mobile apps, sharing information has become a cinch.

Businesses can use their custom mobile app to put key information directly at a customer’s finger tips.

Restaurants can effortlessly load and change menus;

stores can load in their multiple locations, and map towards the one that is closest to them;

and inventory can be loaded so that customers can shop any time.

And that’s not it…

A whole new level of “specialty information” can be loaded that helps customers make purchasing decisions (such as a loan calculator). Features like these build trust with customers and make it easier for them to see how purchasing your products will help them.

Push notifications give you an arsenal of opportunities to engage with your customers, such as:

Telling them when a cool event is coming up.

Letting them know about a new coupon.

Announcing new inventory.

And more! (The possibilities are essentially unlimited)

For example, Ft. Collins-basedIsland Grilluses push notifications to announce special events to their customers.

Island Grill push notification.

5. Conducting business through the app (monetizing the app).

A constant theme of this article has been that custom mobile apps increase the number of ways in which your customers can interact with your business. But one type of interaction we haven’t touched on yet is arguably the most important: making business transactions.

Mobile apps are more than a marketing piece; they can be monetizes and directly add to the bottom line.

For example, our app for Yung’s allows customers to order food through their smartphone.

Checkout screen on our app for Yung’s

Let us help you put a custom mobile app to work for your business

We’ve helped our customers reach their mobile goals and make money from their mobile apps. If you would like us to do the same for you, please get in touch with us here, or give us a call at 970-818-1764. We’d love to be of service!

]]>http://powerappsthatwork.com/5-things-a-custom-mobile-app-can-do-for-your-business/feed/0How a Custom Small Business Mobile App Paid for Itself in 1 Week [Case Study]http://powerappsthatwork.com/how-a-custom-small-business-mobile-app-paid-for-itself-in-1-week-case-study/
http://powerappsthatwork.com/how-a-custom-small-business-mobile-app-paid-for-itself-in-1-week-case-study/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2013 16:25:10 +0000http://powerappsthatwork.com/?p=737Small businesses know that having a custom mobile app is an awesome way to delight and attract customers, but they don’t have an unlimited marketing budget.

They need to know that what they invest in will help grow their business in a tangible and cost-effective way.

One Power Apps that Work customer had the same concern. And what they found was amazing their mobile app not only paid off, it paid for itself 1 week after launch:

Case Study: Recycled Cycles

Recycled Cycles is a Ft. Collins-based bike company owned by Dave Hudson. Dave opened Recycled Cycles in 1978, originally selling only reconditioned and repainted bikes. As the years passed, Dave grew his business; today, Recycled Cycles is a well-respected full-service bicycle and fitness equipment shop. Though business was doing well, Dave was looking for ways to increase his market share and further increase customer loyalty from current customers.

Enter Power Apps that Work.

When Power Apps that Work approached Dave and shared with him how his business could benefit from a custom mobile app, he was a bit skeptical at first.

“We all had some mixed feeling about how it would go for the business”, Dave said. But they were convinced that it was worth a shot, and they went forward with creating a mobile app for their business.

Power Apps that Work wasn’t about to let Dave down: we knew an app would be a definite ROI for his business, so we set out to show him just what we could do.

Our Thinking Behind our App for Recycled Cycles.

We knew that a custom mobile app was a unique opportunity to help Recycled Cycles not only procure new business, but also to make a strong impression on existing customers and to foster a sense of customer loyalty by creating a community around the brand.

We quickly realized that Recycled Cycle’s customers wanted an app that was more than just a simple presence and information about the company: they wanted a comprehensive set of highly-relevant bike-related information readily available at their fingertips.

We knew that if Recycled Cycle’s mobile app could deliver this information, the company would essentially be giving itself two opportunities to get in front of customers: 1.) when the customer wanted information specific to the store, and 2.) when the customer wanted general information related to bicycling.

Here’s what we made for Recycled Cycles:

We knew that a mobile app was an outstanding opportunity for Recycled Cycles to expand its business and delight customers. We carefully integrated customer loyalty, business information and niche-specific information into Recycled Cycle’s app to create a holistic and interesting experience for their customers.

1. Aesthetic design

The work started with a thoughtfully-designed homepage:

The app’s homepage is attractive and reduces clutter while also providing key information to customers.

2. Out-of-app customer engagement

It’s obvious that Recycled Cycles will have the chance to engage with customers when they open up the mobile app. But we wanted the company to have the chance to engage with customers even when they weren’t actually using the app. So we included push notification functionality:

“Push notifications” allow the mobile app to automatically alert users when the business publishes a special or has another message to convey.

Push notifications mean that customers don’t need to have your app open in order to receive notifications from your company: notifications will just pop up on your client’s smartphone, and they can take a look at your mobile app to learn more about your offer. (Of course, it’s never wise to go overboard with push notifications! But they are an effective tool when used in moderation and for important events).

3. Business location & hours information

We knew that customers find it immensely frustrating not being able to find a business’ location and open hours (we’ve all had that experience of going somewhere only to find it was closed!).

So we designed Recycled Cycle’s app in a way that included all key location information in an easy-to-find spot:

Recycled Cycles’ app includes their two location, which makes it easy for customers to figure out which is near them…

…which includes a full page of key location information, such as open hours…

…and a map of the location, including the ability to get directions!

4. Customer loyalty incentive program.

We wanted it to make it easy for Recycled Cycle’s customers to see why they should visit often: we built a customer loyalty incentive program into the mobile app.

5. Inventory and product information.

eCommerce is booming [include statistic], and businesses like Recycled Cycles wanted to work with the eCommerce trend. Furthermore, Recycled Cycles knew that if they could share their inventory information with customers either online or over their mobile app, they could make it more convenient for customers to make purchases. We designed their app so that they could share inventory information with their customers.

Recycled Cycles uses their mobile app to share inventory information with their customers.

6. Value-added niche-related information

We knew that customers who felt like they had been treated well were more likely to reward the business with continued patronage and more purchases. We identified an opportunity for Recycled Cycles to take advantage of this by including biking-related information in their app:

Recycled Cycles uses its app for more than promoting itself; it uses the app to provide useful niche-related information to customers.

This way, app users will have additional reasons to want to use the Recycled Cycles app (not just when they want to buy something!). This gives Recycled Cycles a passive opportunity to increase visibility, and makes customers feel grateful to have useful information at their fingertips.

The Results

Power Apps that Work finished the mobile app and delivered it to Recycled Cycles. Now was the moment that everyone had been waiting for: would the app delight the company’s customers and increase sales?

It only took a week to find out.

“The first week of being live, an older gentleman came walking into the store carrying an iPad”, Dave said. “I noticed he was using our app to browse our inventory!

“He brought the iPad to the counter and showed me the model of the bike that he found…that day, he purchased a bicycle with an assortment of accessories…He called back an hour later and said he was sending his wife in the next day to purchase the women’s version of the bike, accessories included!”

What Dave said next was simply incredible:

“Their combined purchase alone paid the fee for the app for the entire year.”

To Dave, the ROI of his company’s custom mobile app was clear. And Dave learned something interesting from this customer that emphasizes the importance of a web presence for small businesses: “[He talked] about how he uses the internet to shop, and then goes to a local store to make a purchase.”

What Power Apps that Work has done for Recycled Cycles, we can do for you too.

We are super excited that Recycled Cycle’s mobile app paid off so quickly; and we are confident that an app can provide a positive ROI for your business as well.

In the comments below, share with us some of your thoughts about a mobile app for your business. Were you surprised to hear about Recycled Cycle’s results? What concerns do you have?

Have more specific questions? Interested in getting started on an app for your business? Just contact us here.

]]>http://powerappsthatwork.com/how-a-custom-small-business-mobile-app-paid-for-itself-in-1-week-case-study/feed/0Does your business need a custom mobile app?http://powerappsthatwork.com/does-your-business-need-a-custom-mobile-app/
http://powerappsthatwork.com/does-your-business-need-a-custom-mobile-app/#respondMon, 11 Mar 2013 16:57:35 +0000http://powerappsthatwork.longspeakweb.com/?p=333We’ve all heard about mobile apps, and know that what started as a foray in cute games has evolved into a sophisticated tool of commerce that enables business and delights customers.

It’s no surprise that plenty of big companies have mobile apps…

…but did you know that custom mobile apps are an explosive trend for small business as well?

Local restaurants, bars, gyms, law firms, nonprofits, and sports teams…all of these business categories (and many more) see the sheer potential of apps, and have integrated them successfully into their overall marketing efforts.

Other people are getting into mobile apps.

The real question, of course, is: should you?

The numbers prove your customers are mobile: will you be there with them?

Mobile is more than a fad: it’s a proven trend that grows exponentially year-over-year. In fact, at the end of 2011, 101 million people in the United States were using smartphones; an increase of 60% from 2010.

Of all of the statistics, one stunning number paints a crystal-clear picture for small business: 80% of smartphone searches were for local businesses.

In other words, your customers are already looking for you with their smartphone.

Let’s dissect these searches a little bit more: up to 90% of mobile searches for businesses resulted in an action favorable to the business, such as a customer visit (for example, 52% of searches led to a call to the business); a quarter of those who looked for local businesses made purchases.

What other methods of marketing or promotion yield these sort of sky-high conversion rates? The story the numbers tell is clear: mobile is an effective, proven and growing way to get in front of customers and increase conversions.

There’s bad news, though: your competitors have already started to figure this out too. 22% of small businesses planned to increase mobile marketing in 2012

; a number that will continue to increase in the coming years.

How can mobile apps help my business?

Mobile apps offer an almost unprecedented way for your business to make your customer’s life easy, and make it almost irresistible to engage with your brand.

Custom mobile apps help your business in 3 main ways:

1. Keep you in front of customers

Think about traditional advertising methods, such as commercials, flyers, and direct mailing. They’re expensive, and they’re a one-time shot: after you send the mailings or run a commercial, you’re done until you’re ready to fork over more money for another campaign.

Mobile apps, on the other hand, go where no traditional advertising method has been before.

Once your customer downloads the app, it stays with them. The app is like a mini-billboard that goes with your customers wherever they take their phone. When your customers are flicking through the apps on their phone, they will see your app, and be reminded of your business and its products.

Push notifications automatically display your specials and promotions to customers, even when they aren’t using your app. And unlike traditional advertising, the ongoing cost to keep your app on their phone and in the App Store is minimal.

2. Bolster customer loyalty

Customers want to know you care, and customers that are cared for become loyal customers.

What if there was a way your customers could always know about your best deals? What if they could easily sing your business’ laurels, or directly contact you if they were having a problem?

Business mobile apps allow for all of this. Before mobile apps, businesses would only hear praises and complaints through the grapevine (or publicly on a review site like Yelp!), which meant slow and ineffective reaction.

Today, savvy small businesses use their apps to easily and effectively build customer loyalty. They use mobile apps to send out specials, or to easily solicit customer feedback. They make it easy for satisfied customers to share their experience with others on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. They make customers feel like they are part of a community: this community-feeling gives customers a vested interest in the success and betterment of your business.

3. Make it easy to conduct business

Why limit interacting with your customer (and making money) to only when your customer is at your location?

Before, if a customer wanted to conduct business with you, they would have to go to your website, or give you a call…and if they wanted to make a purchase now, it would be impossible; they’d have to wait to get to your location or until they were in front of their computer.

Mobile makes it easier to capture customers’ interest “in the moment”. If a customer is wondering where to go for dinner, they check your app, and can immediately make a reservation. If they want to buy a product like the one you sell, they simply go to your app and make a purchase. And if they want to know whether or not your business is open…it’s as simple as checking your app (and since you have them in your app, why not take the chance to show them some of your specials or promotions?).

Mobile apps have great potential for small businesses: consider it as part of your overall marketing plans.

Apps make it unprecedentedly easy to connect and engage with customers. Small businesses of all types understand the statistics and realize that apps are a powerful, modern tool in their marketing arsenal that fills the gaps left by traditional marketing methods. And the savviest of small businesses build comprehensive marketing strategies around their app, knowing that their app is their “foot-in” to contact and engage with customers.

In short: start thinking about an app and what it can do for your business today!…because if you’re not, your competitors probably are.

]]>http://powerappsthatwork.com/does-your-business-need-a-custom-mobile-app/feed/0Welcome to the Power Apps Bloghttp://powerappsthatwork.com/welcome-to-the-power-apps-blog/
http://powerappsthatwork.com/welcome-to-the-power-apps-blog/#respondSun, 10 Mar 2013 18:09:10 +0000http://powerappsthatwork.longspeakweb.com/?p=329“We’re about customer success. We want our clients to get the absolute most out of their mobile marketing efforts. If you’re interested in learning how to engage and attract customers like never before, you’re in the right place”

Steve Lucas, President, Power Apps that Work

What is Power Apps that Work?

We’re Power Apps that Work, and we help small businesses develop customer loyalty and increase conversions through affordable mobile apps.

Small businesses recognize that a great product isn’t always enough: crafting an incredible customer experience is the indelible second half of the equation.

But traditional advertising and outreach efforts are expensive and unpredictable. Small businesses want a targeted approach that’s engaging and has the potential for a high marketing ROI.

Mobile marketing and apps represent an excellent an opportunity to do just that.

Simply put, mobile apps are the wave of the future. They completely redefine the way that businesses interact with customers, and represent an entirely new opportunity for savvy businesses to engage their customers.

We at Power Apps that Work help small businesses cut though the questions and complexity by framing the concept of mobile customer engagement into actionable, easy-to-execute steps. The apps we create excite our clients and delight their customers.

What’s on our blog?

We know you’ve heard all about mobile apps before…and that you probably have more questions than answers!

So let us help you start sorting it through.

Here at the Power Apps blog, we will be featuring all sorts of fresh content to help you conceptualize how mobile marketing and apps have a place in your business. For example:

Want to know how mobile can help bolster customer relationships? Wonder what the marketing ROI is on mobile?

Curious to see the success stories of those who have been there before, and the pitfalls to avoid?

Or do you just want someone to lay out all of the details in an objective, easy-to-understand way?

Where can I get started?

We invite you to join the Power Apps community. Start by signing up for our Mobile Marketing Crash Course: a 20-video course featuring actionable, easy-to-understand mobile marketing tips.

If you have more questions, just give us a ring! We’d love to hear your mobile marketing questions, and to work on your behalf to make your venture into mobile marketing a phenomenal success.

Thanks, and please let us know what we can do, or if there are any questions we can answer!